


When we grow bonded

by obviouslyelementary



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Angst, Child Neglect, Child!Tom Paris, Family, Family Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Parent-Child Relationship, found family trope, turning into a child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27437113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary
Summary: After not showing up for his shift, Tom Paris is searched for by Tuvok at captain's orders. Expecting a sick crewmate or some form of clinical psychological problem, Tuvok finds himself surprised by the sight of a young, 10 year old human boy inside the Lieutenant's quarters.
Relationships: Kathryn Janeway & Tom Paris, Owen Paris & Tom Paris, Tom Paris & Crew, Tom Paris & Tuvok
Comments: 20
Kudos: 31





	1. The Boy

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this out of pure love for Tuvok and Paris. I love them so much and I think they would work so well in a found family trope. Not that Voyager itself isn't a found family trope. You got the deal doesn't matter.

The first one to find him was Tuvok, noticing the man's unusual behaviour, not showing up for his shift at the speculated time, and not showing up later, either. In normal circumstances, commander Chakotay would take care of crew problems, as it was his duty as first officer, but considering the new discovery they had made in a harmless planet nearby, he was unable to comply, since he was in an away mission with ensign Kim and other crewmembers. So Janeway, too intrigued by their new discoveries to be worried about lieutenant Paris at the moment, requested that Tuvok went over to his quarters to check if he was alright, or sickly, or simply having another one of his emotional episodes.

Tuvok could think about at least ten other people that were more fit for the job, however he simply accepted his task and left the bridge, sure it would be a quick, harmless visit, that would be solved soon.

As he reached the man's quarters, he rang the doorbell and held his hands behind his own back, waiting patiently for an answer that did not come. Raising an eyebrow, he rang the bell again, this time using also his voice.

"Lieutenant Paris. Please respond" he said, in his usually calm tone, waiting for another minute patiently, a minute that went by completely silent. Upon that response, he found it wise to use his security code to open the locked door and make his way inside, believing Paris to be asleep or in some worsened condition where he could not communicate. Upon entering the room, he noticed the dimmed lights, unorganized surroundings, and came to the realization that perhaps the man was indeed asleep. "Lieutenant Paris?" he called again, once inside, heading to the bedroom to check. The bed was empty, and the blankets were unmade, as if someone had just climbed out of bed. It would be logical to assume that something was definitely wrong with the man, wherever he was, and his reaction was to reach for the comm badge to call the captain and let her know about the situation.

Before he could, however, he heard sounds coming from the living room, and made his way back, slowly, checking around the room and retrieving his phaser in case an intruder was inside the room. He looked around, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the sound, and by the time he recognized it as shallow breathing and quiet whimpers, he noticed they were coming from behind the main couch.

"Whoever is behind the couch, I ask you to come out slowly" he said, his phaser still in hand, but now pointing down. It could be Paris himself in some form of paranoid state, or simply sick, or maybe an intruder, or thousands of other possible scenarios. It was illogical to think about them, until he had an answer. The breathing stopped and so did the whimpers, and Tuvok took it as he was heard, and now, whoever was behind the couch wanted to be avoided. "I can assure you I will not harm you. My name is Tuvok, and I only wish to talk."

Another minute or so passed by with no changes. Luckily, Tuvok was a Vulcan, and therefore his patience was one of his most useful features. He awaited for longer than any other crewmember would have, and his patience was fruitful. Two minutes later, a head appeared from behind the couch, and Tuvok tilted his head. Two eyes showed up soon after, seemingly checking him out, and then they sunk back behind the couch.

"W-who are you?" a small, timid voice made its way through the room, and Tuvok considered it a small victory in this strange endeavor. For what he could analyze, the voice sounded childish, and frightened. Two things that allowed him to put his phaser back down, and assume a more relaxed stance.

"My name is Tuvok, and I am a Vulcan. We are aboard the federation starship Voyager" he said, tilting his head as he kept his eyes focused on the couch, where the head showed up moments prior. "May you state your own name?"

"You know my name..." the child spoke once again, and Tuvok raised his eyebrow. "You called me... Paris..."

"Is that your name?" he asked, not wanting to take any chances, and the child responded with an agreeing hum. "Then could you please show yourself, Paris? I will not harm you."

The child took a moment to move away from their hiding spot again, but when they did, they made their way from behind the couch to next to it, still clearly frightened, and looked up at Tuvok with unsure eyes. If the name had not been enough evidence, the child's boyish figure, blond hair and blue eyes were certainly the last puzzle pieces.

That was, as illogical as it seemed, Lieutenant Paris.

"Paris is my last name... My name is Tom..." the boy mumbled, much less... extroverted than Tuvok would have considered, knowing Paris' adult personality. "Your name is Tuvok, right?"

"That is correct" he nodded, and the boy looked down at his feet.

"We are... in a starship... is my father here?" he whispered, as if he was afraid of the answer. Tuvok did not know why, but did not linger on the thought.

"Your father is not here" he answered, and Tom looked up again, showing fear again.

"My mom?"

"I am afraid not."

"T-then why... why am I here?" he asked, looking more and more frightened by the second, something that would not help Tuvok understand the situation. "They... they sent me away, didn't they? They are taking me to a boarding school colony, aren't they? M-mister Tuvok you have to bring me back, I told them I didn't mean it, I can't go to a boarding school! I can't!"

That behavior, as unexpected as it was, was clearly more in line with a child version of Lieutenant Paris as Tuvok had imagined. Loud, unsure, and strangely emotional. The boy began pacing as he spoke, and Tuvok stared at him as his eyes filled with tears, tears of fear no doubt, and perhaps sadness. Using the knowledge he knew about being a parent, and about human children, he approached the boy and stood in front of him, making him look up.

"I need you to calm yourself down, mister Paris" he said, his voice calm but firm, and the boy stared at him while swallowing thickly.

"I don't want to go to a boarding school" he whispered, as if that was the most worrying possibility for him at that moment. Tuvok knew it was not.

"You are not going to a boarding school. Of that I can assure you" he said, and then tilted his head towards the couch before sitting down. Paris took a second, before sitting down next to him, wiping his eyes clean of the tears. "However, I must tell you that the situation you find yourself in is much more worrisome than a boarding school scenario."

"What? Why?" he asked, wiping more of his tears, and Tuvok considered for a moment before deciding that, due to their predicament, lying to this child version of lieutenant Paris would not make the situation any easier. He would find out way too soon that he was lying.

"What I will say now may sound strange, and extremely unlikely, however even if you doubt me, I will have plenty of information to assure you that I am, in fact, telling the truth" he began, and Paris blinked slowly, crossing his legs over the couch.

"My mom always said Vulcans don't lie..." he whispered, and Tuvok tilted his head in slight curiosity.

"Your mother is correct, Vulcans do not lie" he said, and Paris nodded. "However, it is still a difficult subject to be exposed, even for an adult. So I do not expect you to understand it right away."

"Alright... okay..." he whispered, and Tuvok nodded.

"You are currently at the starship Voyager, seventy five thousands of light years away from Earth, in a space of the galaxy called the Delta Quadrant. We have been in this area of space for three years now, and this morning, when you did not show up for your shift, I was assigned to come and check on your wellbeing, only to discover that you had, somehow, become a child. Considering I just found you, I cannot state the reason as to why you were returned to an earlier stage of your life, nor why you did not retain your memories. All that I currently know is that you are Lieutenant Tom Paris, or at least claim to be, and that you have no memory of this place or this crew."

"So... I'm in the future?" he whispered, blinking slowly, looking more than confused about the situation, something that Tuvok found to be expected.

"I cannot say. If you and our twenty seven years old Tom Paris were translocated due to some temporal anomaly, then yes, you are in the future. If our twenty seven year old Tom Paris returned to an early stage of development, then no, you are not in the future, simply undergoing some type of unknown mutation or disease. It is impossible to rule out any opportunity. You could also just be another alien that is masking yourself as our lieutenant to earn our trust, and destroy us or learn more about us, while our Paris is prisoner or dead somewhere else. I cannot rule out any possibility."

"O-okay..." he whispered, once more looking frightened, and Tuvok was not surprised to see such a reaction. It would not be easy to tell this to an adult. For a child, he was receiving those news quite well. "But we are in a Starfleet ship... so... can we go back to earth?"

"Unfortunately we have not found new ways to return to Earth any faster than we are currently. Our travels will take approximately seventy five years" he said, and Tom's eyes widened again.

"But my mom... my dad..."

"I am sorry, mister Paris, but you will not be able to see them in any foreseeable time."

Tuvok expected the boy to be upset, perhaps even begin to cry, but no, instead he became frozen, as if processing all that information was incapacitating somehow. Tuvok awaited patiently, and eventually Paris looked back at him.

"What... do we do?"

"I believe our first course of action should be to take you to sickbay and check your vital signs. Perhaps our doctor could give us a better answer as to what happened to you. I shall call the captain and let her know of this new predicament."

As Tuvok stood up to call the doctor and alert the captain, he felt someone tugging on his sleeve, and looked back at the boy, who was staring at him with wide, scared eyes.

"Stay with me, mister Tuvok? Please?"

Tuvok couldn't help raising an eyebrow at the boy's request, before giving him a short now.

"I will accompany you to sickbay."

The boy visibly relaxed, letting go of his sleeve and looking around, while Tuvok alerted the captain to meet them in sickbay, and told what he knew to the doctor. Then, he looked at Tom, who was staring at the several objects around the room, and spoke.

"Shall we?"

Tom looked at him and nodded, following him towards the door and out of the room. The moment a crewmate showed up in the hallway, Tom immediately gripped Tuvok's arm, holding his sleeve and pressing incredibly close to him, a clear sign of fear and need to be comforted. Tuvok was unsure what age mister Paris had retracted to, however he did not seem young enough to be this frightened about mundane situations such as this. However, Tuvok was Vulcan, and he did not understand the thought process that went over human heads, specially human children.

So instead, he allowed Paris to hold on to him, and eventually found himself holding his hand, making sure the boy was next to him and felt safe.

They arrived at sickbay with no further incidents.


	2. Guardian

Once in sickbay, Tuvok directed Paris towards one of the biobeds, while the doctor and Kes got all the objects needed for the scans. Paris sat down with his legs out of the bed, looking at the doctor nervously, while Tuvok remained by his side.

"Hello there, I am the medical emergency holographic doctor and I will be checking you today" the doctor said, giving the boy an amicable smile even though he was probably as confused as everyone else in the ship. "This is my assistant Kes."

"Hello Tom" she said, smiling always so kindly, and Tom looked up at her unsure, unconsciously leaning closer to Tuvok. He raised an eyebrow at the boy's reaction, but remained by his side until the captain were to arrive. "These scans won't hurt, I promise."

"We just have to make sure you are healthy" the doctor agreed, getting his tricorder and checking the boy thoroughly. "There seem to be no injuries, no damages or diseases... very good."

"Nothing wrong in the brain scan either doctor" Kes added, looking at him. The hologram nodded, reaching for another device and checking it again.

"For what I can tell, we are dealing with a very healthy ten year old human boy" he said, smiling, but Paris did not seem amused. He was keeping his glance down on the floor. "I would like to do some more exams, but with B'Elanna, so we can check for any temporal or dimensional anomalies."

"I believe that would be wise" Tuvok agreed just in time for the captain to come inside. As he took a step towards her, to report his findings, a hand reached for his sleeve and he looked back at the boy, who was staring at him, once again scared.

"You aren't going to leave, are you?" he asked, his voice trembling, and Tuvok raised an eyebrow.

"I will speak to the captain and return. Do not worry" he said, and Paris hesitantly pulled his hand away. Tuvok gave him a nod and walked to the captain, both making their way into the doctor's office to have a more private conversation.

"What is the prognosis?" Janeway asked, giving the boy a glance through the windows. Tuvok placed his hands over his back, straightening it up.

"The boy is healthy, and there is no sign of alien DNA in his body. From what we can tell, he is indeed a human boy. The doctor is probably checking to see if he is Tom Paris. However, we still need further studies to determine why this occurred."

"Right... and you found him at Tom's quarters? No sign of our officer?" she asked, and Tuvok gave her a nod.

"Precisely."

"Alright. This is... complicated, but it could be worst I'm sure. I will call B'Elanna off the away team so she and the doctor can begin the scans right away. I don't want to miss any sort of trail as to why this happened" Janeway said, crossing her arms and looking over at the boy again. Tuvok did the same, and saw how he kept staring at them. "He has no memories of his life prior to this?"

"No. He has the memories that a child would have. He has no recollection of anything from his adult life."

"That could be a concern. I mean... we are all scared of being here in the Delta Quadrant and we are all adults... imagine how a child will react" she whispered, sighing and shaking her head. "I will call B'Elanna and tell her to come up here immediately. For now I think the doctor can handle mister Paris. Tuvok, come with me."

Tuvok nodded, making his way out, and Janeway walked to the boy, smiling at him as he stared back at her, once again looking frightened.

"This is captain Janeway" Tuvok said, and Janeway waved at Tom. He shyly waved back, before looking down.

"Hello Tom. I know this is all very strange and probably very frightening, but we will take care of you, don't worry" she said, and he looked at her, fidgeting with his fingers. "If you need anything, you are welcome to ask any of the officers in this ship for help. For the time being, I will ask you to stay here in sickbay. Is that alright?"

"Is... is mister Tuvok going to stay with me?" he asked, shyly, quietly, and Janeway looked at Tuvok surprised. Tuvok himself wasn't expecting such a request.

"Do you wish him to stay?" Janeway asked, and Tom nodded slowly, never looking up. She looked back at Tuvok and frowned. "Just a minute Tom" she said, nodding for Tuvok to follow her. "So..."

"I did not expect such a behavior captain" Tuvok said, and Janeway gave him a knowing smile.

"Yes, I know. It seems as if Tom is already attached to you" she said, looking over at him again. "I need to know if you are willing to spend time with him."

"Captain?"

"He is attached to you, but he knows you for a very short time. If you are unwilling to be his... guide during this process, it will be easy to get him attached to someone else" she explained, crossing her arms.

"What are you requesting, captain?" Tuvok asked, hardly ever understanding the ability of humans to say so much without saying anything. She looked back at him with a frown, and then sighed.

"I want to know if you want to take responsibility for Tom while he is a child. I know it's a lot to ask, and you can say no. This is a request, not an order. If you don't think it would be wise, then you are free to say no."

"The boy is clearly showing signs of attachment to me, and out of all the crewmembers in this ship, I am the only one who has experience in being a father" Tuvok said, analyzing the situation. "However, my experience is limited to Vulcan children, and in my position as tactical officer and chief's security officer, in any case of attack, mister Paris would be extremely vulnerable."

"We don't seem to be in a dangerous part of space now. We haven’t encountered aggressive lifeforms in weeks. And we are still going to take some time in this system, perhaps time enough to solve this issue" Janeway pondered, and Tuvok stared at her.

"I shall only ask, captain, if you will relieve me from duty in the case I accept, or if you will allow the boy in the bridge in case he requests" he said, and Janeway thought to herself, looking over at the boy again.

"Well... technically he still is our pilot... I see no harm if he stays quiet when on the bridge" she said, smiling at Tuvok. "What is your answer?"

"I accept" Tuvok said, also looking over at the boy. "It will prove to be a challenge, no doubt, but I am prepared. I will watch over the boy until we can return him to his normal state of being."

"Good. Then you will stay with him until all scans are finished. And then, you can return to duty with your new pupil" she said, smiling and giving him a nod before making her way out of sickbay. Tuvok watched her, before making his way back to the biobed, where Tom was waiting clearly anxiously. When he stopped next to the boy, he looked up, eyes wide and unsure, but not afraid.

"Are you staying with me?" he asked, quietly, and Tuvok gave him a nod.

"Yes. I will be your guardian while we discover what happened to you. Is that something you agree upon?"

"Yes!" Tom said, in a bright gasp, and then pressed his lips together. "Sorry. Yes sir."

"There is no need for you to call me sir. Just Tuvok is adequate" he said, and Tom gave him a shy smile, and a nod.

"Yes... Tuvok."


	3. Training

They began the testing the moment B'Elanna was on board. They kept all the scans to sickbay, and soon, they had all types of scans made, all engineering could do in such a rushed manner.

"I still want to collect some data but from what I can tell, there is no trace of distortion or time anomaly... I have honestly no idea what this is" she said, looking between Tuvok and the doctor. "None of your scans showed anything?"

"No. From what I can tell he is just a healthy, young Tom Paris" the doctor said, checking his data again. "There is no sign of virus or bacteria or any type of alien DNA that could have provoked such an alteration."

"It appears we have reached an impasse" Tuvok said, looking over at the boy who was currently eating some ice cream and talking to Kes. "We need to keep our studies, analyze this area of space, and perhaps find a new clue that will lead us to some form of answer or theory, at least."

"Are you worried you will have to take care of him forever?" B'Elanna teased, smirking at him, making Tuvok turn to her and raise an eyebrow.

"I am more worried about the overall functioning of this vessel without its pilot, considering mister Paris is the best pilot we have in our crew. Besides, the captain is correct when she says the Delta Quadrant is no place to raise a child, and therefore, having mister Paris return to his original self would be nothing if not beneficial."

"Basically you don't want to take care of him forever. I got it" she insisted, chuckling to herself and gathering her equipment. "I will start to work on some more analyses and I will begin monitoring this region of space. I will get back to you if I have anything" she said, and made her way out. The doctor looked at Tuvok and shrugged.

"I also have nothing else to give you, lieutenant. You may go."

Tuvok gave him a nod and walked towards the biobed, where Paris was resting. He was just about finished with his ice cream, so when Tuvok approached, he placed it down.

"Can I leave?" he asked, hopeful, and Tuvok nodded.

"Yes."

"Cool" he jumped off the biobed, thanking Kes for the ice cream. "Where are we going now?"

"I will give you a quick tour around the main decks where you will be allowed to go, and then I will take you to your quarters and return to my duties in the bridge" Tuvok said, making his way out, and the boy followed him quickly.

"Wait, I can't go with you?"

"The bridge is no place for a child" he explained, to which Paris became quiet. He looked down at him, and the boy was once again looking at his feet. "What is the matter?"

"I don't want to be alone..." he whispered, and Tuvok raised an eyebrow.

"I can request that someone else comes and spends time with you" he said, to which Tom shook his head quickly.

"N-no I don't want to be alone with anyone else..." he said, his frightened demeanor returning. It did not settle well with Tuvok, specially since he knew the boy as a man, and he did not seem to be as frightened as an adult as he was as a child.

"Very well. I have the authorization to allow you on the bridge with me, as long as you respect all and every order coming from any of the officers, and that you remain quiet and do not get in anyone's way" he said, and Paris' eyes widened.

"Yes! I won't do anything! I will stay next to you and be quiet" he said, eagerly, and Tuvok gave him a nod.

"Very well. I will take you to the holodeck first, to run a simulation of possible scenarios that may happen, and I will teach you how to react to them. If you succeed, I will allow you on the bridge with me."

"Alright!" Paris said, grinning. "I will do you proud, Tuvok, I promise!"

"I have no doubt" he said, doubting it profusely.

"Very well, this is your first scenario" Tuvok said as the program showed the bridge with all its main officers, apart from mister Paris for obvious reasons. "In this scenario we will be conducting a routine scan over an anomaly and a group of aliens will attack the ship. In this scenario, I want you to report to officer Anthores, and make your way towards your quarters with her. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir!" Paris said, excitedly, and Tuvok nodded, making his way to tactical.

"Stay next to me" he said, and the boy moved to stand right next to him. "Computer, begin simulation" he said, and suddenly the characters came to life and began moving. Paris gasped at it, and remained close to Tuvok, watching the movement.

"Mister Harry, what are your scans showing?" the captain asked, and Tuvok kept his attention on his duties, while watching the boy next to him.

"The anomaly appears to be a nebula, but from a class I've never seen before... and these readings, they don't seem to show anything that would appear in a normal nebula."

"Are you saying this isn't what we are seeing?" the captain inquired, and Harry shook his head.

"No captain. It is a nebula... but I believe it was fabricated rather than formed by natural means."

"An artificial nebula..." Janeway whispered, just before Tuvok rose his eyes to the captain.

"Captain, three ships are coming out of the nebula. They have their weapons targeted at us."

"Red alert, raise shields!" Janeway said just before the first ship sent an attack that made the ship tremble. Paris squealed and held onto Tuvok as he held himself by the panel. "Hail them!"

"No response!" Harry said as another attack made the ship shake.

"Shields are at 80%" Tuvok said, and Janeway nodded.

"Target their weapon array and fire, mister Tuvok" she commanded, and he did as much.

"Their shields are holding" he said, and she nodded.

"Harry, Chakotay, get a way of passing through their shields" she said just as another attack hit, their ship shaking even worst.

"Shields at 60%" Tuvok called and looked down at the boy. Paris seemed terrified, gripping onto him and looking around. "Leave, mister Paris."

Tom looked up at him and nodded, rushing through the bridge towards the officer and telling her to take him to his quarters. She nodded and walked with him to the turbolift, taking him down as the ship kept shaking. Once in the right deck, they walked out and she took him to his quarters, instructing him to remain inside and hidden, before leaving back to the bridge. He rushed towards the couch and crawled underneath it, holding onto his head as the ship shook and turned.

"Computer, end program" Tuvok said, and everything disappeared. Paris gasped and stood up, looking at him in fear and then trying to pull himself together. "Very good, mister Paris."

"T-thank you Tuvok" he whispered and put his hands behind his back as Tuvok did. "That was scary..."

"And it will be even more... scary, when the situation is real" he assured. "Now, onto the second program. This time, a space anomaly will disable our ship's communication and you will be requested to follow me at all times. Are you ready?"

"Yes sir!"

"Computer, begin program Tuvok-Paris two."

"I heard you made a bunch of new programs to work with Tom before he came to the bridge" Janeway said, hours later, when he finally reported to duty again. As requested, he indicated the chair next to his post for Tom to sit, and he did, awaiting new orders while staring at the console. Tuvok gave him a quick glance and then returned to face the captain.

"Yes. I believed that training him in possible scenarios would be the wisest course of action, since it is clear that he won't wish to spend time away from me" he said, and she smiled.

"He seems to be behaving very well... I think you will do great as his guardian."

"Thank you captain" he said, nodding and then resuming to his post. He sat down next to Paris, keeping his eyes at the panel at all times, since a threat was always possible in the delta quadrant. The away teams were slowly returning to the ship, having made some progress at the discovery of more materials that would be useful to their travels. While captain Janeway had been correct in saying that the last couple of weeks had been calm, it was never illogical to predict that their situation could shift at any second.

As requested of him, Paris did not get in the way of any activities during his time at the bridge. Despite the lack of activities to keep his mind occupied and focused, he did not stir from his position, respecting the boundaries Tuvok had placed over him. It was, indeed, almost surprising, considering the man he would once become. If the doctor hadn't assured he was Tom Paris, Tuvok would have began questioning the possibility that he was, indeed, an alien. However, that was not the case.

However, while Tuvok was a Vulcan with very little need for sleep, and a constant duty to fulfil due to their limited crew members, Tom Paris was but a child, with a strict biological clock. So, as Tuvok's first shift came to an end, Paris yawned deeply, showing his state of tiredness.

"I believe it is time for you to return to your quarters and get some rest" Tuvok told him, as the day had been uneventful and there was no sign of danger anywhere nearby. Paris looked up at him, and rubbed his eyes, clearly fighting his urge to sleep.

"I want to stay with you" he mumbled, but Tuvok knew that was impossible, and also, unadvised.

"You cannot. As a growing child you must sleep at least eight hours a day, and you are tired. You must return to your quarters and sleep" he said, and Paris blinked slowly.

"Can you take me there?" he asked, and Tuvok raised an eyebrow. His first reaction was to say no, but of course, as Janeway had explained to him, Tom Paris had for some reason grown attached to him. So, he couldn't simply deny the boy anything without good reasoning.

"I will ask the captain" he said, standing up and heading over to Janeway's ready room. As she allowed him in, he made his way to her desk, and sat down by it.

"Yes, Tuvok?"

"The boy wants me to take him to bed" he said, and she smiled at him. "I wanted to ask your permission, since it is still my shift."

"Actually it is not your shift, you insisted in having two shifts instead of one" she said, raising her own eyebrow at him, something that always made him fascinated. "Yes, you may take him to bed. Make sure he is comfortable and stay for as long as you want."

"Very well" he said, and as he stood, Janeway called his attention.

"And Tuvok" she said, and he turned to her "remember that he is a human child. He is more... emotionally needy than your children are."

"I will remember that, captain" he assured, and made his way out again, looking at Paris who was eagerly waiting for him. "Come with me, mister Paris. I will take you to bed."

Paris smiled and jumped out of the chair, rushing to him and immediately holding his hand. Tuvok walked to the turbolift and made his way to Tom's quarters.


	4. Sleep

Upon their arrival into Paris' quarters, the boy that had been so calm in the last few hours seemed to tense up again, and lean closer to Tuvok in an attempt to feel safer. They walked inside, and the boy looked around, as if the room itself provoked some kind of fear in him. Tuvok made his way in and stood in the middle of the room, watching the boy, waiting for a reaction.

All he received was a frightened, unsure glance in return.

"You can now rest" Tuvok said, hoping that young Paris would understand the silent command. The boy looked around once more, and bit his bottom lip in a clear sign of anxiety.

"I... do I have to stay here?" he asked, unsure, and walked slowly towards the couch. "I don't... like it. It's so cold and impersonal... and just not... comfortable."

"It has everything your adult self could have wanted. I fail to see why it would be insufficient to you" Tuvok said, as usual not used with human sentimentality. He had had very few interactions with human children throughout his lifetime, making this twice as difficult as it should be.

"I'm scared" Paris said, suddenly sounding more honest than he did the whole day, and Tuvok raised an eyebrow at him. The boy looked down, as if ashamed, and turned away from Tuvok, playing with one of the pillows on the couch. "I don't want to be alone..."

Tuvok took a sharp breath and walked towards Paris, standing next to him.

"I will remain here until you have fallen asleep, if you so wish. Would that be ideal?"

Tom's eyes widened and a grin formed on his face. He nodded, before making his way to the bathroom.

"I will take a shower and brush my teeth... wait. Where can I get some pajamas?" he asked, stopping by the door, and Tuvok made his way to the replicator.

"Computer, replicate a set of human pajamas in standard size for ten year old males" he said, and the pajamas were replicated almost instantly, in a light shade of sky blue. He handed the boy the pajamas, and he smiled.

"I will be quick! I promise!" Tom said, rushing inside, and Tuvok watched him silently before shaking his head and walking to the couch. Before he sat down, however, he noticed how much of a mess the quarters were in, and he pondered about it. Normally, he would not get involved with the crew's personal spaces, and knowing what he knew about lieutenant Paris, he doubted the man would appreciate inputs as to how unorganized his quarters were. However, it was one thing to allow adult crewmates to have their quarters as they wished. Another thing was to be negligent and not allow the best type of space for a growing, learning child to develop in. Allowing children to be raised in a messy, unkept room was detrimental to their mental abilities, and he doubted that with human children it was any different.

So, against his usual behavior, he began to collect all the personal items around the space and placing them in better located positions. He knew Tom Paris would not mind it once he was back to his adult self, or if he did, Tuvok had a valid logical point for his changes.

He organized the living room area, the dining area, and then he made the bed, put away the PADDs and other work related objects, making sure the entire complex was well placed and organized accordingly.

Once he heard the boy leaving the bathroom, he returned to the living room, where he was searching for Tuvok. Once he was in sight, Paris smiled and walked towards him, standing in front of the security chief.

"I am ready for bed" he said, and Tuvok nodded, showing him the way into the bedroom. Tom made his way inside, looked around and climbed on the overly large bed. Tuvok watched him as he settled down and covered himself up, before staring at him, awaiting for something.

After a long pause, Tuvok raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"Can you... um... tuck me in?"

Tuvok was familiar with that concept, something Vulcan children required up to around five to six years of age. Something they grew out of as logic began to override their emotions. Human children did not seem to have the same course of action.

Expected.

"How would you like me to do so?" he requested, to make this endeavor as quick as possible. He saw Paris' cheeks turning pink and he looked away, as if ashamed.

"I don't know... just... tell me goodnight?" he asked, and his voice was small once again, frightened. It seemed as if he was both ashamed of his request, ashamed of his fear, and frightened by the fact that he would be left alone eventually.

So Tuvok decided to take another approach to their situation.

"Tuvok to Janeway" he said, after touching the badge.

_"Janeway here."_

"Do you require my immediate assistance at the bridge?"

_"I don't think so Tuvok, everything seems calm for now... why?"_

"I shall take longer than expected before I can return to my duties, I wanted to make sure that would be adequate."

_"Take as long as you'd like. I will call you if anything shows up."_

"Understood. Tuvok out" he tapped the comm badge again, and then turned to Paris, who seemed confused and curious. "Await here."

With a nod from the boy, Tuvok left the bedroom and walked towards the replicator once more. He requested for a wood support and a meditation candle, before returning to the bedroom and gently placing the support over the bed, and the candle over it. Paris' eyes were wide and he sat up, clearly curious.

"What's that?" he whispered, as Tuvok removed his shoes and sat down in front of the boy, crossing his legs. Paris imitated him, and Tuvok did not know if that was instinct or a rational decision. They were both facing the candle, and Tuvok used the candle's lighter to set it on fire.

"This is a Vulcan meditation candle. It is replicated, so it lacks the spiritual laces a traditional one has, but I believe that due to your human heritage, that will not be an issue" he said, looking at Paris as he looked back at Tuvok. "I will teach you a Vulcan meditation technique, so you can conquer your fear and have a restful sleep. This way, you can slowly regain your power over your irrationality and see the situation for what it truly is."

"You mean... I will think logically?" he asked, and Tuvok nodded.

"That is the objective. However tonight, as your first section, I wish only that you have a calm sleep."

"Okay..." he whispered. "What do I do?"

"First, you will join your hands in a traditional Vulcan form, made so you can focus all your thoughts and energies at the tip of your fingers" he said, holding his hands together, indexes sticking out towards Paris. The boy slowly imitated him, his small indexes pointing to Tuvok. "Now, you will close your eyes, and focus your attention on the heat of the candle."

"Alright" Paris whispered, closing his eyes and keeping his hands up, fingers pointing to Tuvok. The Vulcan watched him, before closing his eyes as well.

"Very well. As you are human and lack telepathic abilities, I will focus this meditation in your mind and your senses. Feel the heat of the candle, hear its quiet sounds, perceive the candle in your mind."

"I know what a candle feels like" Paris mumbled, and Tuvok raised his eyebrow without opening his eyes.

"You shall not imagine a candle, but feel it inside your mind. Observe it, interact with it. This candle is your thoughts, your feelings, your energy. All that you are is inside this candle, is this candle. Allow its energy to fill you, from the tip of your fingers down to the center of your stomach. You are one with the candle."

"I am... warm..." Paris whispered, and Tuvok nodded.

"You are heat, and you are also light" he said. "Now, imagine a strong wind blowing the candle."

"But I'm the fire! It will shut me down!" Paris said, frightened, and Tuvok took a deep breath.

"If you are strong, your light will remain lit, only dimmer. This wind is your fear, you must learn how to control it. You must know how to endure it, and use it in your favor. The wind brings instability, but also it brings oxygen, and the oxygen maintains the fire. The fear brings anxiety, but it also brings strength. You must find that strength and break it apart, using it on yourself to improve."

"I... I'm scared of being alone..." he whispered, and Tuvok waited. "But... I know that I am not really alone... that this ship is filled with people that will help me..."

"Very well. Now, imagine that the candle light is growing dimmer. It will not go out, but it will turn small. That is also you, when you are asleep. Vulnerable. Is it not?"

"Anything can happen to me while I'm asleep, alone..."

"But will the candle be out? Will it not regain strength when it finds more energy to burn?"

"It will burn brighter..."

"Precisely. You are that candle. The candle is dim, the fire is small, it is tired. Once it rests, as all things should, it will burn brighter, and the wind will not put it out as easily. You are that candle. You are this energy-"

Tuvok opened his eyes once he heard the sound of something hitting the pillow, and tilted his head as he saw Paris laying down, hands over his stomach, completely asleep, breathing deeply and steadily. He gave a nod to himself, made his way out of the bed and carefully brought the support and the candle back to the replicator, feeding it back into the system. He requested the computer to dim the lights, and covered the boy with the blankets, before making his way out of the room.


	5. Awake

For six hours Tuvok was able to work without any further complications. Clearly his approach to meditation had worked, and Tom Paris had been successful in sleeping by himself for the time being. While the boy slept, they finished the surveys on the planet, having found some residual proof of old mining activities that could help with their dilithium extractions, and were organizing new teams to continue the search for another two days or so.

Once that was finished, the captain requested a meeting with the senior staff, to talk about their more pressing matters.

"I believe all of you must know by now what this meeting is about, however I will say it for the sake of the log" she said, standing up and looking over her senior officers. "We are still unsure as to why or how, but our friend Tom Paris has reverted back into a child. He is, according to our doctor, a healthy ten year old human child, with no memories of his life as an adult here on Voyager, nor anything else that has happened after his current age. He is unaware of the maqui, of the wars with the Borg, of his time in the penal facility, you get the picture. All he remembers if what happened until he was at the age he is now. This complicates our situation. I know we have a baby in our crew, but a ten year old child is something we were not prepared for. Mister Tuvok has taken as his responsibility to care for Tom, however his position as security officer is quite dangerous, so I wanted to make sure that I can count on all of your to protect our new crewmate until we can resolve this issue."

"Of course captain! I would be glad to assist you and Tuvok in taking care of Tom!" Neelix said, and the others agreed with nods of their own. "I think he could even stay with me, I know my job isn't as unsafe as mister Vulcan's."

"I would beg to differ, considering your accidents in the kitchen" Tuvok responded, before looking at the captain. "If I may?" he requested, and she nodded, sitting down. He then stood up to speak. "While I agree with the captain's request for all the senior officers to watch over the boy, Tom Paris has, for some still unknown reason, attached himself to me. This information is important for any future behaviors he might show. Besides, I am conducting trainings with him to make sure he will hide and stay protected in case of any accidents that might occur during our voyages."

"And you may continue those as often as you'd like, Tuvok. The last thing I want is a scared boy on my bridge while we are being attacked" Janeway said, looking over at the doctor as Tuvok nodded and sat down. "Doctor, B'Elanna, any news?"

"In all my analyzes I have yet not figured out anything that could have brought Tom back to his current age captain, but I am sure it is just a matter of time" he said, and B'Elanna agreed.

"I haven't found any type of space phenomenon that we know of that could have provoked it captain. But I will keep looking."

"Very well. Harry, I want you to assist B'Elanna. Doctor, Kes, I want answers as quickly as possible. Chakotay, you are going to continue the surveys of the planet, make sure we can get some dilithium. Neelix, I want you to assist Tuvok in all that he needs. Tuvok, you know your duties."

"Yes captain" they said, somewhat together, and stood up. Janeway looked at Tuvok, a sign that he should stay, and he remained in place while the others left the room. Once they were alone, she stood up as well and sighed.

"So. What's the situation?"

"The boy seems to be adapting nicely to his surroundings. He is comfortable around me, has been respecting all the orders I give him, and apparently the meditation techniques I taught him earlier were sufficient to keep him in bed, alone. He will require much work, he seems to be constantly afraid of being left alone and at the same time he seems to fear places with many people and people he doesn't know. It is showing to be a challenge, however one that won't be difficult to overcome."

"I'm glad you think like that, because I am very scared of what might happen to him" she said, replicating some tea and sipping on it. "I mean he is a child that up until this point has lived his whole life on Earth with his family... for now it must be somewhat fun to be away from all of that but soon the homesickness will start to show. That's when we have to start worrying."

"I will be watching carefully for those signs, captain, you can be sure of that" Tuvok said, giving her a nod. She smiled at him and sat down again.

"I always thought you were a good father, but I never had proof until now."

"I am a good Vulcan father. I am unsure how I will perform with a human child" he said, and Janeway shook her head with a chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure you will do great. Just try not to get too attached" she winked at him, and he raised his eyebrow before she dismissed him and he left. He returned to his post, wondering silently about Janeway's words.

He was a Vulcan. He did not grow attached.

But perhaps, Tom Paris would.

The meeting happened around four hours after Paris had fallen asleep. Two hours later, while Tuvok worked at the bridge, he was contacted through the comm system.

 _"Lieutenant Tuvok?"_ they called, and he tapped his comm to respond.

"Tuvok here."

_"Sir, ensign Clarrisa here, Tom Paris wishes to speak to you."_

"Very well" he said, raising an eyebrow and waiting.

_"Mister Tuvok?"_

"Yes, mister Paris?"

_"Are you on the bridge?"_

"Yes."

_"Can I go there?"_

Tuvok pondered about it for a second, looking around the bridge, knowing there was very unlikely that something would happen that would require his full assistance. Janeway was looking at him curiously from her chair, and he looked at her.

"Stand by" he said, and made his way to her. "Captain-"

"Go train him. You can return in your next morning shift" she said, smiling, and Tuvok gave her a nod before making his way towards the turbolift.

"Mister Paris, I will meet you at your quarters. Return there and wait for me."

 _"Okay! Thank you!"_ the boy answered, and soon Tuvok heard the ensign again.

_"I will return to duty sir."_

"Accompany mister Paris to his quarters, ensign. Then you can return to duty" he ordered, and she responded before cutting the communications. "Computer, deck two."

A few minutes later and he was standing in front of Paris' quarters, ringing the doorbell and having the boy open the door from inside, his eyes wide. He was still wearing his pajamas, so Tuvok made his way inside and Paris followed.

"Thank you for coming" he said, softly, standing close to Tuvok while he looked over the room. Most of the living room was organized.

"Have you made your bed?" he asked, and the boy nodded.

"Yes!"

"Have you eaten?"

"No, not yet. I don't know how to work the replicators all that well, my mom usually cooks for me" he said, and Tuvok nodded.

"I will replicate you some clothes and you will change and brush your teeth, and then we will go and eat in the mess hall" he said, and Paris nodded. Tuvok replicated some usual children clothing and handed it to Paris, who left towards the bathroom to change. Tuvok waited for him patiently, and soon after the boy returned, changed and ready to go.

"I'm ready!"

"Good. Follow me" Tuvok said, walking out of the quarters and heading to the mess hall. Paris followed him quickly, reaching for his hand instinctively, and Tuvok held it back to give the boy some comfort.

He ignored the glances on the hallway, noticing how Paris seemed more confident than before he slept, not cornering the moment he saw someone approach. It was a good sign of improvement.


	6. Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short im so sorry. But the next one will be worth the wait!

Making their way into the mess hall, Tuvok once again ignored the intense glares from the other officers, making his way to the counter where Neelix provided the food options and looking over at them. He made a quick selection of what he believed it would be good for young mister Paris to eat, but before he knew, the boy was taking a tray and serving himself.

"Good morning Tuvok! And hello there new friend!" Neelix said, always cheerful, and Paris looked up at the outgoing man before hiding behind Tuvok again. "Hey there's no need to be scared! I'm your friend, and Tuvok's too!"

"That is up for debate" Tuvok replied, while Paris looked at Neelix unsure and slowly moved away from behind the Vulcan.

"What are you?" he whispered, holding his tray close, and Neelix approached the boy but remained at a safe distance.

"I am a talaxian. My name is Neelix, sorry I didn't say that earlier. You don't have to be afraid of me."

"I'm not" Paris mumbled, and looked over at the food again, holding his tray in position to put food in it. "I don't know what any of this is..."

"Oh I believe you are going to love these, they are calidrian eggs with histoic roots, great for starting a new day" Neelix said, eagerly reaching for the spoon, but Tuvok stopped him with a raised hand.

"He will not be eating your food yet Neelix" he said, and looked at Paris. Taking the tray away from him. "Come. I will replicate you some food that will be more to your taste."

"You didn't even let him try!" Neelix cried out in disbelief but Tuvok ignored him, offering his hand, one that Paris held immediately. He took the boy to the replicators and used one of his rations to replicate whatever the boy wanted: in this case, an eggs and ham sandwich.

"My mom did these every day when I was little" Paris said as they sat down, the boy with his sandwich, Tuvok with some of Neelix's special breakfast. "Is... the cook's food that bad?"

"No. However it is filled with spices your body is not accustomed to, so I believe a slower approach would be advised. You are already somewhere strange and unfamiliar, having you get sick would not be wise" Tuvok explained, and then offered his tray to the boy. "You may try mine, if you wish."

"Okay" Tom nodded and reached for a fork, getting some of the scrambled eggs and taking a bite. He chewed for a moment, before his face tensed up and he coughed, putting the fork down. "This is awful!"

"Precisely" Tuvok said, continuing to eat it as the boy reached for his also requested orange juice, drinking it down quickly. Tom coughed some more and then returned to his sandwich.

"Why do you eat it? You have replicators" he said, munching on his food, and Tuvok took another bite of his food, now already used with Neelix's eccentric food.

"We do not have unlimited access to replicators anymore. We have rations that we can use to our convenience, but most of the food we eat is produced here on the ship" he explained, watching as Tom's eyes widened and he looked down at his sandwich. "Do not worry. I have plenty of rations accumulated."

"I-I can't do that... I'm sorry" he said, pushing the sandwich away, and Tuvok furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"It is not your fault, I made a logical choice. You are free to eat the sandwich. Besides, you yourself have rations as well" he explained, and Tom swallowed thickly, looking around at the other officers, all of them eating Neelix's food.

"But I don't want to take advantage of something that is so... rare" he said, unsure, and Tuvok tilted his head.

"You are not taking any advantage. I do not wish to risk having you grow sick from Neelix's excessive seasoning" he explained once more, and upon the boy's look, he nodded. "You may finish your sandwich."

"Okay..." he whispered, clearly unsure, and reached for the food, taking smaller bites and watching the other officers. Every now and then, someone would turn to look at them, but more often than not everyone just remained in their own conversation circles.

Once they were done eating, Tuvok rose from his seat and Paris accompanied him, both leaving their dishes back with Neelix and leaving the mess hall. Once outside, Paris reached for his hand again.

"We are now heading to holodeck two, where we will train some more possible dangerous scenarios. Understood?"

"Yes sir" Paris nodded, looking at him and smiling. Tuvok looked down at him and nodded, making his way through the hallways to the turbolift, so they could head on to the holodeck.


	7. Trouble

For the little Tuvok knew about human children, he could see Tom Paris was either very different from the usual, or his own parameters were biased. Of course, he lacked the logic and eagerness to understand the world around him that many Vulcan children had, and yet he did not have the emotional outbursts and sentimental needs that a child from his own species required. Before Vulcans learned how to control their emotions, they were loud and crude, extremely sensitive to others. Tom Paris was not. He was a good listener, he did what he was supposed to, and he was, well, needy, afraid of being alone, but never showed it enough to become a concern.

No matter what, it was more than interesting to have a pupil such as him.

Of course Tuvok couldn't stop himself from teaching Paris some Vulcan techniques to suppress fear and loneliness, he taught him games that only Vulcan children were able to master, and he spent most of his free time teaching the boy discipline, logic and curiosity. And he was an adequate subject, responding positively to all his classes, all his teachings, following up as much as he could. Of course, he didn't have the natural instincts of a Vulcan child, but for all Tuvok knew, he would have been well trained if he was born and raised on Vulcan.

However, not all was good in this new arrangement. First of all, Voyager lost her best pilot, which was proving to be a loss they would never wish to avoid again. More and more often, the ship was being taken through space anomalies that would have been easily avoided had lieutenant Paris been in charge. And, of course, the more time the boy spent in Voyager, the more he became lonely and homesick, constantly 'forgetting' about their predicament and requesting to talk to his father or his mother to at least let them know he was okay. As illogical as it was, the more Tuvok explained the situation to him, the more he seemed not to believe him.

And worst, despite B'Elanna's and the doctor's constant work, neither of them seemed any closer to finding what had happened to mister Paris, or how to turn him back to his old self.

It had been one full week since Thomas Paris had turned from an adult to a ten year old child. During all of that time, he learned and evolved, now practically a master in all the danger simulations Tuvok had presented to him. He still could not sleep alone, but he was falling into slumber way easier and way faster than before. He had also been practicing some Vulcan meditations, and was slowly warming up to the rest of the crew. The one he seemed to like most was Harry, simply because the ensign had taken some of his free time to go to the holodeck with the boy, play on the beach and do hikes around mountains. Paris was still scared of the captain, not saying anything around her except 'yes madam' when she directed her questions to him, while Neelix and the doctor were becoming usual acquaintances to him. B'Elanna seemed to provoke in the boy another set of emotions entirely, his cheeks always pink when she talked to him or came closer. After an inquiry with the human crew, Tuvok came to the conclusion that mister Paris had a crush on her, mostly platonic due to his age.

It was not causing any problems, however, so he did not see any point to teaching him how to suppress it.

Despite slowly beginning to trust the rest of the crew, Paris' usual choice of company was always Tuvok. At all the times he was available, the boy remained at his side, even when he was conducting his routine activities. He was always polite, never complained and never spoke out of line, sometimes yawning out of boredom but never causing any issues. Tuvok was not uncomfortable with the experience, nor was he comfortable. It was neutral, indifferent. He would rather have their officer back, but as long as the boy did not cause trouble, he did not mind his company.

It was, however, often forgotten that a space ship in unknown territory was not the ideal place to care for a child. A week and a half after the officer had turned into a child, Tuvok was reminded of it, the moment the captain called him to the bridge during his routine checkups.

 _"Tuvok we are under atta-"_ the captain called, before the communications were interrupted and the ship shook from top to bottom, with such strength and so suddenly that even he lost his balance, having to hold onto the nearby panel to keep himself from falling. Paris, who had been waiting to the end of his shift by sitting on the chair in his office, grabbed onto the chair and yelped, his sleepy state clearly being shook out of him.

"Tuvok to bridge. Captain respond. Chakotay, respond" Tuvok tried, after tapping his comm badge, but no one answered. Another shock wave made him hold the panel tighter, his eyes turning to the boy immediately. His eyes were wide and his expression filled with fear. "Mister Paris, do you remember our simulations?"

"Y-yeah!" he answered, whimpering when another wave made the ship tremble.

"I want you to go with an officer back to your quarters and hide. Is that clear?" Tuvok asked, making his way around the table and pulling the boy to his feet. Another tremble, and Tuvok held onto the wall and the boy's arm firmly to keep him standing. "Understood?"

"Yes sir!" he cried out, both in fear and in response to Tuvok's question. They made their way out of the office, hearing the red alert warnings around the ship, the automated computer voice telling them to head into battle stations. The hallways were filled with people running to their posts, while the ship kept trembling and shaking. Tuvok began making his way towards the bridge, holding Paris' arm tightly and pulling the boy with him, knowing sooner or later he would find an officer he trusted to take care of him.

 _'Warning! Shields failing! Core breach imminent'_ the computer's voice blasted through the ship, people making their way into the stations even faster. Suddenly, the ship took a massive hit, sending the whole vessel to the side in such force that Tuvok and all the crewmates on the hallway were slammed into the right wall, Tuvok somehow stopping Paris from hitting the harsh metal with his own body. He groaned in pain, looking down at him, seeing the boy frozen and completely frightened, and kept his hold on him.

"Come on, we have to reach the bridge" he said, pulling him and remaining near the wall, just before the computer started to repeat an automated message again.

_'Intruder alert! Intruder on decks 10 to 3! Intruder alert!'_

Tuvok was very aware that, since they were in the second deck, they did not have much time to go somewhere safe. He looked around, trying to find some room where he could hide mister Paris, just before he heard an explosion so loud he stepped away. Paris grabbed onto his hand, tightly, and soon they heard the sound of phasers being shot in the hallway in front of them. Tuvok made a mental map, organizing their routes of escape, before running to a passage where a Jeffrey's Tube was located and opening it.

"Get inside and go as far as you can" he told the boy, who kept his hold on him. The sounds of phasers continued, and Tuvok grabbed him, pushing him inside the tube. "Now, mister Paris!"

The boy nodded, clearly shaken, and began to crawl through the tube, as fast as he could. Tuvok closed and locked the door before rushing towards the sound of phasers, his own on hand, shooting the aliens as he saw them. However, there were more than he could imagine, his officers already on the ground, unconscious. He was able to shoot five before they shot him, sending him down out cold, the ship sounding loud alarms around them.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are, as usual, appreciated!


End file.
